On the Forty Days, the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian with three prostrations.

"Lord and Master of my life! Turn away the spirit of idleness, despondency, lust for power, and idle name from me. Grant the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to me, Thy servant. O Lord the King, let me see my transgressions and not condemn my brother, for Thou art blessed forever and ever. Amen." 12 small (waist) bows with the prayer: "God, cleanse me, a sinner", and one earthly bow with the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian. "The Trisagion" according to the "Our Father...". Lord, have mercy" (12 times). Prayer: "Christ, true Light; Enlightening and sanctifying every person who comes into the world! May the light of Thy countenance be reflected upon us, that we may see in Him a light that is inaccessible, and direct our paths to the fulfillment of Thy commandments, through the prayers of Thy Most-Pure Mother and all Thy saints. Amen."

THIRD HOUR.

(see beginning in 1 hour). "Come, let us worship our King God. Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King God. Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ Himself, our King and God."

Psalm 16: "Hear, O Lord, my righteousness, hearken unto my cry; Accept a supplication from the lips of those who do not lie. In Thy presence let judgment come forth unto me; let Thy eyes behold righteousness. Thou hast searched my heart, visited me by night, tempted me, and found nothing; My lips do not depart from my thoughts. In the affairs of men, according to the word of Thy mouth, I have guarded myself from the ways of the oppressor. Establish my steps in Thy ways, let not my feet waver. To Thee I cry, for Thou shalt hear me, O God; incline thy ear unto me, hear my words. Manifest Thy wondrous mercy, O Saviour, of those who trust in Thee from those who resist Thy right hand; keep me as the apple of your eye; in the shadow of Thy wings, hide me from the face of the wicked who attack me, from the enemies of my soul that surround me. They have shut their hearts, they speak haughtily with their mouths; at every step of ours they now surround us; they set their eyes to bring me down to the ground; they are like a lion thirsting for prey, like a lion cub sitting in hidden places. Arise, O Lord, warn them, bring them down. Deliver my soul from the wicked with Thy sword, from men by Thy hand, O Lord, from the people of the world, whose portion is in this life, whose belly Thou fillest out of Thy treasuries, their sons are full, and will leave the remnant to their children. But I will behold Thy face in righteousness; when I am awake, I will be satisfied with Thy image."

Psalm 24: "To Thee, O Lord, I lift up my soul, O my God, in Thee I trust, that I may never be ashamed, that my enemies may not triumph over me. Let not all who trust in Thee be ashamed; let them be ashamed of those who depart from Thee in vain. Show me, O Lord, Thy ways, and teach me Thy paths. Direct me to Thy truth, and teach me, for Thou art the God of my salvation; in Thee I trust every day. Remember Thy mercies, O Lord, and Thy mercies, for they are from eternity. Do not remember the sins of my youth and my transgressions; according to Thy mercy, Thou hast remembered me for the sake of Thy goodness, O Lord. The Lord is good and righteous, therefore He guides sinners on the way, directs the meek to Righteousness, and teaches the meek His ways. All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth to those who keep His covenant and His revelations. For Thy name's sake, O Lord, forgive my transgression, for it is great. Who is the man who fears the Lord? Om will show him the path to choose. His soul will abide in good, and his descendants will inherit the earth. The mystery of the Lord is to them that fear him, and he reveals his covenant to them: my eyes are always on the Lord, for he draweth my feet out of the snare. Look upon me and have mercy on me, for I am lonely and oppressed. The sorrows of my heart have multiplied; bring me out of my troubles. Look upon my suffering and my exhaustion, and forgive all my sins. Look at my enemies, how many they are, and with what fierce hatred they hate me. Preserve my soul and deliver me, that I may not be ashamed that I trust in Thee. May chastity and righteousness guard me, for I trust in Thee. Deliver Israel, O God, from all their afflictions."

Psalm 50: "Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy and the multitude of Thy mercies, blot out all my iniquities. Wash me many times from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin: for I am conscious of my iniquities, and my sin is always before me. In Thee alone, before Thee alone have I sinned, and done evil in Thy eyes, so that Thou art righteous in Thy judgment, and pure in Thy judgment. Behold, I was conceived in iniquity, and in sin my mother bore me. But behold, Thou hast loved the truth in Thy heart, and hast revealed to me the hidden mystery of Thy wisdom. Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness, and the bones that Thou hast broken shall rejoice. Turn away Thy face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew the right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation, and strengthen me by the Spirit of sovereignty. I will teach the wicked Thy ways, and the wicked shall turn unto Thee. Deliver me from blood, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue shall praise Thy righteousness. Lord, open my mouth, and my mouth shall declare Thy praise. For Thou wilt not desire sacrifice, I would give it; Burnt offerings are not well pleased. Sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; Thou wilt not despise a heart that is contrived and humble, O God. O Lord, do good to Zion according to Thy good pleasure; Build the walls of Jerusalem; then shall the sacrifices of righteousness, the offering and the burnt offerings be pleasing unto thee, then shall they lay bullocks upon thy altar."

Glory even now. "Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, glory to Thee, O God" (three times). "Lord, have mercy" (three times). Glory: the troparion of the day, and the troparion with verses on the Forty Days, and 6: "O Lord, Who sent down Thy Most Holy Spirit at the third hour to Thy apostles, Him, O Good One, take not from us, but renew us who pray to Thee", Verse: 1, "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew the right Spirit within me", 2. "Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me" (Psalm 50:12-13). And now (the Theotokos): "O Theotokos, Thou art the true vine, Who hast brought forth for us the Fruit of Life; We pray to Thee: pray, Lady, with the Apostles and all the saints, for the mercy of our souls." "Blessed be the Lord all day long. God lays a burden on us, but He also saves us. God for us is God for salvation" (Psalm 67:20-21). "Holy God..." according to the "Our Father..." Kontakion of a feast or saint; on the Forty Days, the troparion, ch. 8: "Blessed art Thou, O Christ our God, Who hast made fishermen wise, Thou hast sent down the Holy Spirit to them, and through them hast caught the universe, O Lover of mankind, glory to Thee." Glory: "Give quick and sure consolation to Thy servants, O Jesus, when our spirits faint; always precede us, not leaving our souls in sorrows and not departing from our thoughts in misfortunes. Draw near, Omnipresent! Be close to us and, as always inseparable from Thy apostles, unite, O Generous One, with those who love Thee, so that we, united with Thee, may sing and glorify Thy All-Holy Spirit." And now: "Hope, protection, refuge and indestructible wall of Christians, quiet harbor of the exhausted, Thou, Most-Pure Mother of God, as saving the world by Thy unceasing prayer, remember us also, O Virgin, sung by all."

"Lord, have mercy" (40 times). "At all times..." p.387. "Lord, have mercy" (three times). Glory even now. "More honorable than the cherubim..." Bless in the name of the Lord, father." Priest: "Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us." On the Forty Days, the Prayer of Ephraim the Syrian with Bows, p. 388.

The prayer of St. Mardarius: "Sovereign God, Father Almighty, Lord, Only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit, one Divinity and one Power, have mercy on me, a sinner, and in whatever ways Thou wilt save me, Thy unworthy servant, for Thou art blessed unto the ages of ages. Amen."

SIXTH HOUR.